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Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD studentÌýErin Dunphy has won the prestigiousÌýInternational Centre for Diffraction Data’sÌý, which recognizes research promise in the field of crystallography. Crystallography, the science of figuring out how atoms are arranged inside a solid material, has been essential in developing X-ray, electron and neutron diffraction methods to reveal the atomic structure of materials.

Tell me about your researchÌý

My research examines how polymers (long-chain molecules) and hydrocarbon (molecules made of hydrogen and carbon, such as fuels) attach to the surface ofÌýRuthenium-based catalysts, which are used to speed up chemical reactions. Understanding this interaction is critical to improving catalytic processes for polymer upcycling, an innovative approach for converting plastic wastes into valuable products, such as jet fuels. By studying these interactions at the atomic level, we gain insight into how the materials bind and react, helping guide the design of more efficient catalysts.Ìý

What does receiving the Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship Award mean to you?

Receiving the Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship is a great honor that marks a milestone for my academic career. It is exciting that my research inspires others and reminds me that fundamental research is critical to the development of new technologies.

How will this scholarship support your research or academic goals?

Receiving this scholarship reinforces my commitment to tackling complex scientific challenges by developing techniques that deliver real-world solutions. I aim to continue pushing boundaries at the intersection of fundamental science and technology development.

What drew you to crystallography as a research focus?

My first experience with advanced crystallography was during a science undergraduate laboratory internship when I worked at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. While there, I realized that materials optimization, improving a material’s properties so it performs as well as possible for a specific application, is often the key bottleneck limiting progress in energy and infrastructure technologies.

What are you most excited to work on?

I am excited to finish my ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ research and to defend my thesis in June. I am performing my final single-crystal diffraction studies at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. This technique allows scientists to map the atomic structure at the crystal interface.Ìý

For these experiments, I designed a custom reaction chamber that can operate at temperatures up to 250°C and pressures of 15 bar, allowing us to study materials under realistic working conditions. I also developed specialized software that processes and analyzes the data in real time.

What are your future research or career goals?

My sights are set on integrating renewable energy onto an industrial scale. Plastics recycling using catalysis offers a route to sustainable fuel generation which is part of creating a circular energy infrastructure. Ultimately using multiple forms of green energy generation (solar, wind) is all a part of the renewable energy infrastructure.

I hope to work with industry professionals to optimize new technologies and streamline deployment onto national and international scales.

How do you hope your work will contribute to the field?

My research looks at how molecules or atoms (called adsorbates) attach to the surface of a single crystal under realistic conditions for thermal catalysis. I hope my work encourages other researchers to study surfaces in environments that go beyond the extremely clean, ultra-high vacuum conditions typically used. Ultimately, my work helps expand surface science to investigate materials in contact with liquids, oils and membranes under practical pressures and temperatures, making the findings more relevant to real-world applications such as in thermal catalysis.